Gidley
10 Questions with Memo Gidley

Gidley
Photo Credit - R. Kurtycz
SportsHollywood went to Laguna Seca Raceway for the Honda Grand Prix of Monterey, the 16th race on Championship Auto Racing Teams’ (CART) 20-race schedule. Between races we talked to various drivers and got their views on racing and racing movies.

Memo Gidley is a driver for Della Penna Motorsports. He began his professional driving career in 1994, and his Champ Car career in 1999. Memo is one of the most popular drivers in CART, and his official web site is http://www.memogidley.com.

Gidley is considered one of the funniest guys in CART. So SportsHollywood caught up with him one evening and asked him about getting paid to drive fast:


TEN QUESTIONS

Cruise Control
SportsHollywood: What's your favorite racing movie?

GIDLEY: "The only one I've ever seen, which is Days of Thunder. I thought it was really good when I saw it 'cause I wasn't in racing, but now I think it's kind of stupid... but it's still really funny."

SportsHollywood: Least favorite racing movie?

GIDLEY: "Days of Thunder. That's the only racing movie I've ever watched."

SportsHollywood: How many speeding tickets have you gotten in the last year?

GIDLEY: "I've gotten seven, but two are under dispute."

SportsHollywood: What's the fastest you've ever driven outside a race track?

GIDLEY: "About 150mph."

Dario and Judd
Dario Franchitti with his fiancée, Ashley Judd.
SportsHollywood: When Ashley Judd finally dumps Dario are you ready to pounce?

GIDLEY: "Too high maintenance."

SportsHollywood: Do you ever flip off the crowd when you zoom past?

GIDLEY: "Mmm...no."

SportsHollywood: When you get a flat on you street car do you have to call on the pit crew?

GIDLEY: "I just keep driving."

Tecate Girls
Sorry, girls.
SportsHollywood: Would you rather take the pole at Fontana, or pole the Tecate girls at the Fontana Holiday Inn?

GIDLEY: "I'll take the pole at Fontana."

SportsHollywood: Do you ever get tired of people asking you how to go to the bathroom in your drivers suit?

GIDLEY: (No comment).

SportsHollywood: Do you ever use Nomex condoms? (Nomex is a flame retardant fabric in their racing suits)

GIDLEY: (No comment).

SportsHollywood: Do you ever get tired of people asking you how to go to the bathroom in your drivers suit?

GIDLEY: (Nods tiredly)

SportsHollywood: So how do you go to the bathroom in your drivers suit?

GIDLEY: "Uh.... (laugh) I don't go to the bathroom in my drivers suit."

Interview by Dan Mahin and Jeff Hause

Memo Memo Gidley
2000: Finished: 10th-Mich; 10th-Chicago; 12th-Ohio; 6th-Road America Signed to drive final 10 races of the season with Della Penna; 3 ChampCar starts with Player’s/Forsythe (Long Beach, Rio, Motegi); Finished 8th in Rio de Janeiro; Drove GT-1 Reynard in 24 Hours of Daytona; Passed Indy 500 rookie test in 71 minutes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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